New warriors, old battlefield

Marines drop in on historic Old Fort Jackson.

Posted: Friday, August 05, 2005

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Clyde Yancey is accustomed to firing weapons. As a crew chief on a UH-1N Huey helicopter, Yancey routinely hangs out the door of the aircraft with his hands gripped to a .50-caliber machine gun mounted on its side.

Firing a Civil War-era cannon at Old Fort Jackson on Friday wasn't only an anachronism for this modern-day warrior but a means to display the continuity between the old and new.

"I've done a lot of things in the Marines I never thought I'd do, and this is one of them," said Yancey, who had the honor of pulling the lanyard to fire the cannon.

Yancey and his fellow Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Lejeune, N.C., have been performing urban combat exercises in the Savannah area since July 25 in preparation for an overseas deployment.

The open field in front of the Savannah River fort provided an ideal landing zone. Old Fort Jackson site manager D.J. Tucker was happy to accommodate the Marines, who landed helicopters there several times during training exercises, sometimes giving tourists an unexpected sight.

In order to commemorate the relationship between those about to fight for their country and the heritage of those who did in the 1800s, the staff at Old Fort Jackson invited the Marines to participate in the twice daily cannon firing.

"Normally we wouldn't allow just anyone to pull the lanyard," said Tucker, a former infantryman in the Canadian army who wore a Confederate soldier's uniform for the occasion. A U.S. Marine's combat arms skills are more than sufficient to handle the job.

With a few cursory instructions, Yancey, Tucker and historic interpreter John Pagano dressed in a Union soldier's uniform loaded the cannon. When ready, Yancey pulled the lanyard, firing the big gun as the Marine's Huey idled in the background.

As the smoked cleared, Yancey presented his unit's coin to Tucker and Pagano as a gesture of thanks for the use of the fort for their training which ends Sunday.

"By virtue of this exercise the modern military is inadvertently acknowledging its roots," Tucker said.